Fil-Am family in Town & Country mag

MANILA, Philippines – In its June/July 2016 “Family Philanthropy Issue,” Town & Country magazine features men and women who grew up and continue to share wealth and influence to make the world a better place.

Alongside other American families like the Rockefellers, the Kennedys and the Lauders, the Lewis family was recognized for continuing Reginald F. Lewis’ legacy of generosity. 

Loida Nicolas Lewis, Leslie Lewis and Christina Lewis Halpern are shown in their Fifth Avenue New York apartment, together with an article that mentioned Reginald’s rise to become the first African-American to own a billion-dollar business, when he took over TLC Beatrice International in 1994, and sold it in 2000 for a 35 percent return on investment (IRR). The article also cited his record multi-million dollar donations to Harvard Law and Virginia State, his alma mater.

An excerpt from the article describes how the Lewis women continue in Reginald’s steps:

Inspired by his example, his family foundation, led by his wife Loida Lewis and his daughters Leslie Lewis and Christina Lewis Halpern, continues to provide support for those schools and other leading organizations such as the Smithsonian, Teach for America in Baltimore, and Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, as well as other groups that promote economic and social justice.

For the past three years a particular focus has been All Star Code, which provides young men of color an introduction to coding and the subtler tools required to navigate tech culture. “In 1965 my father got into a summer program that led him to Harvard Law School,” says Christina, founder and CEO of All Star Code. “So we tried to see where he’d be heading today, areas of opportunity where young black and brown boys were underrepresented.”